As some of you might recall, last week I was having a difficult time finding some strong, healthy Early Girl tomato seedlings. I initially settled for some somewhat overgrown and leggy ones, then a few days later, found these beauties.
![IMG_2047[1]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ALCfQATJ2lw/UUvt2G-H1dI/AAAAAAAACqQ/Q7U3ofS3GDs/s1600-h/IMG_2047%25255B1%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg "IMG_2047[1]")
Below is one of the leggy ones I bought. It is lying flat against the ground next to the hole in which it will be planted.
![IMG_2055[1]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3UDnMcOCbAw/UUvt4_o31iI/AAAAAAAACqg/om6ZRD7g4wE/s1600-h/IMG_2055%25255B1%25255D%25255B5%25255D.jpg "IMG_2055[1]")
Eventually, the long bending center stalk can result in a mature plant with a weak center stem.
The lot of them weren’t all that bad, though, so I took the leggy little girls home. Besides, there is a little trick that can be done to remedy the potential problem of a weak center stem.
When you are ready to transplant the seedlings from their nursery container into your garden, dig the holes extra deep. They should be deep enough so that when each seedling is settled with its root ball at the bottom of the hole, the fill dirt should reach up to just below where the plant becomes leafy.
![IMG_2050[1]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Z-gpdzv6_KU/UUvt7CarTxI/AAAAAAAACqw/xyMiMj4nNZ0/s1600-h/IMG_2050%25255B1%25255D%25255B5%25255D.jpg "IMG_2050[1]")
It is okay to cover up some of the lower leafs if the stems are really elongated. Rather than smothering the plant, this method actually encourages the seedling to send out roots from the buried stem. The increased root system makes the plants more stable.
![IMG_2054[1]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/--5fiClTZKzI/UUvt9disgFI/AAAAAAAACrA/KA9ACytWbh8/s1600-h/IMG_2054%25255B1%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg "IMG_2054[1]")
Water the seedlings after you transplant them. This keeps their roots from being directly exposed to air pockets in the soil. It also helps them adjust more easily to their new home. They might look a tiny bit droopy for a hour or so, but are generally perky by the next morning.
That deep planting method is a hit. It took off here last year and there was a lot of talk about it. I still have tomatoes growing furiously, that were seedlings in my garden and replanted in the vegi patch late in the season. Our days are starting to get cooler, so I hope the fruit will ripen.
ReplyDeleteWe plant all our tomato plants using this method. Do you throw in any Epsom salt or egg shells? I recently read that the egg shells prevent blossom end rot.
ReplyDeleteI do put all of my egg shells into the compost barrel, so they eventually make it into the raised beds. You are most likely right about the egg shells preventing blossom end rot since I have not had a problem with it since adding my egg shells into the compost. I haven't heard of the Epsom salts. I like to add Ironite, which is a fertilizer with lots of trace minerals. It also has the added benefit of making our alkali soil a little more acidic.
DeleteWhen I first started gardening I was told to add a tablespoon of Epsom salt in the hole where I planted tomatoes and mix it in the loose soil before adding the plant. It is hydrated magnesium sulfate which adds magnesium and sulfur to the soil. Tomatoes need the magnesium for strong plant cells that will be able to take in all the nutrients the plant needs. I've never used Ironite. It may have all the plants need so that you don't need the Epsom salt. At any rate I like hearing what everyone else uses. Have a great weekend!
DeleteYummy. We planted some in pots. Hopefully they will be good. I've never planted any tomatoes in pots before.
ReplyDelete